House GOP to go home for Easter break without health care deal

Republicans in the House will head home on Thursday morning for an over two week Easter break without a deal on a GOP health care bill, as lawmakers acknowledged their inability to forge an agreement may foreshadow more difficulties later this year on big pieces of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.

“It just doesn’t bode well for tax reform,” said Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), as the top ally of President Trump in the Congress blasted more conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus, and openly wondered whether that same group would find a way not to support a Trump tax reform bill.

“The Freedom Caucus is going to pull the same stunt they always pull,” Collins said, accusing conservatives of routinely ‘moving the goalposts’ and rarely rallying behind GOP leaders in Congress on policy.

While Collins was taking aim at the Freedom Caucus, the head of that group was counseling patience, expecting more talks in the weeks ahead.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC).

But while Meadows stayed away from name-calling, outside conservative groups were more than happy to take shots at more moderate Republicans and their umbrella organization, the Tuesday Group.

"The Tuesday Group clearly wants to keep Obamacare in place," Heritage's @MikeNeedham tells reporters on call.